When Do I Need to Hire a Fiction Writing Coach?
The short answer is NOW! The long answer is NOW! A writing coach may seem expensive, but the experience will be less expensive than hiring an editor to fix it (and who won’t coach you along the way). You also may pay the price of not seeing your book get picked up by a publisher. […]
Motivating Metaphors
When you sit down to write, what metaphor do you visualize? In my earliest years as a writer, I attended a writing conference. One of the speakers shared a metaphor that hit me hard. “There is nothing to writing,” he said. “All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Often attributed to […]
Do Not Besmirch Research
I’m currently doing research for three historical fiction projects. And all three will utilize different types of sources. I apologize that this post will mostly be lists and is a little dry. And it won’t even been an exhaustive list. But it will show how a zealous researcher needs to be creative, and the blog […]
On ‘Story Genius’ or . . . How to Avoid Wasting a Decade of Your Life
Ever feel as if your writing is a waste of time? That the entire universe is laughing at your paltry literary efforts? That’s one of my biggest fears, and it’s founded on reality. I wrote three unsuccessful children’s book series for David C. Cook in the 1990s. And by “unsuccessful” I mean the amount of […]
Writing Devotions: It’s More Than Just a Message
Writing devotions for children has an exciting caveat: we get to write lots of fun stuff to go along with the key message as well.
Writing Encouragement: A Prayer for My Fellow Writers
A prayer of encouragement for my fellow Christian writers.
5 Tips for Overcoming Writing Critique Group Jitters
Does the idea of attending a writing critique group make you nervous? You’re not alone! Check out a few tips for calming those critique jitters.
The Right Amount to Write
All around the internet, at writer’s conferences, and in any gathering of literary minded folks, you’ll find writers of all genre and for all ages asking this question: “Is it important to write every day?” As this year comes to a close and a new year is dawning on our horizon, this is also a […]
The Best Yes: Make the Most of Your Holiday Season By Doing Less
Thanksgiving and Christmas are on their way. Are you ready to say no to obligations and slow down this holiday season?
Choosing Your Mentor Text
As any brave explorer would do before embarking on a journey, it’s important for us as children’s writers to choose a reliable flashlight to help us find our way.For writers, our flashlight is a mentor text. What exactly is a mentor text, you may ask? In a nutshell, it’s a children’s book that you want […]